


now that i see you

by cressisaqueen



Category: Anastasia (1997), Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Mutual Pining, Tangled AU, YALL I FINALLY WROTE IT, also IZ THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, gleb is the horse and rasputin is mother gothel because i CAN, tw: emotional abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:09:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23440702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cressisaqueen/pseuds/cressisaqueen
Summary: Maybe he could take Anya to see the lights.“What’s your name?” Anya asked.The man seemed to choose his words carefully before saying, “Dmitry.”Dmitry. It suited him.“Well, Dmitry, I’m Anya. You’re going to help me.”---a dimya tangled au
Relationships: Dimitri | Dmitry & Anya | Anastasia Romanov & Gleb Vaganov, Dimitri | Dmitry/Anya | Anastasia Romanov (Anastasia 1997 & Broadway)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 43





	1. stuck in the same place i've always been

**Author's Note:**

> YALL i finally wrote the first chapter after i've been telling myself for WEEKS to write it (thanks free time because of quarantine) also dmitry swears a Lot because lbr he would
> 
> also also i made gleb sound like a cop from a bad 80s movie on purpose 
> 
> i wanna thank iz (both on here and tumblr @izloveshorses) for motivating me to write this and just being an amazing person ily

Anya was bored. She did all her chores already, including laundry which she never did. She read all her favorite books and then reread them; she painted on all the available space that was left on her walls; she baked with what little ingredients she had left over from her last batch of cookies; she even brushed every single knot out of her hair. 

It was only nine in the morning. 

She really needed a life. 

_“You are so overdramatic,”_ her Uncle Ra would say. _“You have so many things to keep yourself busy with up here.”_

Anya looked at the pile of things that have ‘kept her busy’ for the past seventeen years. It was just boring for her now. She wanted _adventure._

But of course the only thing she wanted, she couldn’t have. 

_“Why can’t I go outside?”_ a young Anya had asked. Uncle Ra continued brushing her hair, no doubt sick of that question. 

It was her tenth birthday, and Anya had wished for a day in the forest. A day in the world. 

_“You have a very special gift, Anya,”_ Uncle Ra said. _“The things people would do for that gift, well… It’s unsafe.”_

The last knot was brushed out of Anya’s hair - her gift. The result of a tragic accident that killed Anya’s whole family and granted her the power to heal the sick and injured. The irony was not lost on her as she grew older. 

Truthfully, what Anya had really wanted for her tenth birthday - and every birthday after that - was to see the lights that floated high into the sky. The lights that only appeared on Anya’s birthday. The lights that made her feel not so alone anymore. It was her most guarded (and only) secret, and she held it close to her chest. 

Uncle Ra had no idea about the lights, but Anya knew he would sympathize with her. She was almost eighteen, almost an adult. Maybe he would let her leave. 

_Of course he will,_ Anya thought. _He’s your uncle. He loves you._

Though she called him uncle, Uncle Ra was only a close family friend. The only one willing to take Anya in after the accident. The only family she had left. 

Years of practice and she wasn’t any better at pretending that that was enough.

“Anya!” a voice shouted from the bottom of the tower. Now was her time to ask. She could do this. 

Anya raced to the window, latched her hair on the hook, and let it flow all the way down to the ground. She’s never even been on actual ground before, but maybe… 

Uncle Ra hauled himself through the window, a basket of food in his hands. “Oh, Anya, it feels like a whole day has gone by since I’ve seen you.” 

Anya unlatched her hair and took the basket from her uncle, placing it on the small countertop. 

“Come, come,” Uncle Ra said, motioning Anya to sit next to him. He had her hairbrush in his hands. “Will you sing for me, please? Today was so exhausting.” 

It suddenly hit Anya. This was her routine everyday for the past seventeen years. And she hated it. Her whole day was wasted as she sat around, waiting for her uncle to come home. All so she could sing her stupid song and then go back to doing the same five things she always did. 

Yet she did as she was told, wanting her uncle in a good mood. If she got on his good side, pleaded her case, then maybe… 

_Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know. Things it yearns to remember. And a song someone sings, once upon a December._

As she sang, Anya’s hair began to glow a bright yellow, like sunlight. She didn’t know why Uncle Ra insisted she sang everyday, but she did it anyway. He never seemed to need it, never looked sick, never had a single wound that needed healing. Yet she did as she was told. Always. 

“So, Uncle, I have something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Anya said, after she finished singing. Uncle Ra hummed, waiting for her to go on. “Well, as you know, tomorrow is my _eighteenth_ birthday.” Hope flared in her chest, her confidence growing. “I’m going to be an adult, so I was just hoping - I’m asking if you could take me to see the floating lights.” 

Her words hung in the air. The silence stretched on for an eternity, and Anya almost wondered if maybe he hadn’t heard her. Then Uncle Ra started laughing. Anya awkwardly laughed along, wanting it to be over. 

The laughter died down after too long. “Anya, that’s a hilarious joke. Take _you_ outside? Hysterical!” 

Anya’s heart felt like it just got crushed. 

“...I wasn’t joking, Uncle,” Anya squeaked out. Uncle Ra stared at her, his amusement suddenly turning into such seriousness that it was almost scary. “Every year on my birthday these lights rise into the sky, and it’s just so _beautiful_. Now that I’m almost an adult, I don’t want to watch them from my window anymore. I need to see them in person.” 

Uncle Ra’s voice became very dark as he asked, “And why is that?” 

She was almost too scared to say, _I’ve grown to resent my life here and those lights are the one thing that don’t make me feel completely alone._

So, she said, “I feel like they’re meant for me.” 

Uncle Ra was completely silent and Anya almost wished he would burst out laughing again. It was less terrifying than whatever this was. 

“Anya, do you know why we stay in this tower?” _You mean do I know why_ I _stay in this tower while you come and go as you please._

“I know, but-” 

“That’s right! To keep you safe and sound.” He practically slammed the hairbrush down on the table, making Anya jump. “Anya, the outside world is a scary and dangerous place. Anyone could hurt you, or take away your gift. Besides, I made a promise to keep you safe no matter what.” 

That was what filled Anya with guilt. Her family’s last wish. Her uncle had been using that for as long as Anya could remember. At this point she stopped believing it. 

“Uncle, if you’d just listen and-”

“Anya, we are done discussing this.”

“Trust me! If you’d hear me out, then-”

“Enough with the lights, Anya! You will never leave this tower! _Ever!_ ” 

Anya felt every argument die on her tongue. She had never felt so scared in her entire life. It was the worst feeling in the world. 

Uncle Ra sighed. “Great. Now _I’m_ the bad guy. I’m only trying to keep you safe. Because I love you.” 

It felt like an instinct for Anya to contradict him. _No, you’re not the bad guy. I was being selfish and asking for too much._ But she had never asked for anything in her entire life. She deserved this _one thing_. 

But Uncle Ra couldn’t know any of that. He had to think she was happy with this lifestyle. Otherwise her isolation could possibly get worse. 

“I love you too,” Anya mumbled. She truly couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or not. 

* * *

Dmitry was having a shit day. The day had started with some ass mugging him, because of course, and then when he tried to get his money back, he just _had_ to steal something that belonged to the lost princess. Sometimes he truly couldn’t believe his luck. 

“Find him, or else!” the captain of the guards, Gleb, yelled. Dmitry sighed; Gleb had been a thorn in Dmitry’s side since he was a teenager. Now Gleb had a perfectly valid reason to end his life. 

_“You’re never going to get out of here,”_ Vlad had said. They were both drunk, rambling messes. _“We’re both too poor to live anywhere else.”_

At the time Dmitry had just laughed and drank more vodka. Now, though, it seemed Vlad was right. 

It was his own fault for robbing the fucking _castle._ He should have just robbed some stupid noble, like Lily. But then Vlad would hate him even though he would have done the same no more than a year ago. 

Dmitry examined the small music box in his hands. It wasn’t much; he could kind of see why so many guards tried to protect it. Of course the stupid thing was broken though. He couldn’t even open it. 

“Keep searching!” Gleb shouted. Dmitry cursed under his breath, bracing himself for the chase that was inevitably about to happen. 

Dmitry peeked over the ledge of the roof. He counted three guards on the corner, two by the kingdom's entrance. And then Gleb right beneath him. There was probably more on the other side of the building. _Fuck._

He crept along the roof, clutching the music box close to his chest. He almost slipped and dropped the box, and that’s when he saw it. An opening. 

A small trail led into the forest, unblocked by guards. He just needed to jump off the roof, not break all his bones, and hop a small fence. No big deal. 

Dmitry took a deep breath, shoved the music box into his satchel, and took off. His leap off the roof was not graceful by anyone’s standards, but he safely rolled and landed on the ground. He heard someone shout, but blocked everything out as he ran to the fence. He was actually going to make it. 

His foot caught on something and he slammed right into the fence. A hand grabbed his shoulder and flipped him around. 

“Dmitry, aren’t you tired of this by now?” Gleb asked, his sword pressed against Dmitry’s throat. He was truly trapped now. No getting out, no quick escapes. He should’ve listened to Vlad. 

The sound of clay shattering caught Gleb’s attention. Dmitry took the window and pushed Gleb away from him, knocking his sword out of his hand. He climbed over the fence, only looking back to give Marfa a tiny salute. She saluted back, muttering apologies to Gleb that she didn’t mean. 

Dmitry ran as fast as he could into the forest, satchel practically glued to his chest. If he was going to risk it all, he might as well go big. 

Guards were chasing him - he could hear their shouts, Gleb’s mostly - but he felt too exhilarated to care. Sure, he could be captured as he wasn’t the fastest runner, but for now he was _out._

As he entered the forest, everything felt brighter. The air smelled sweeter and the sun felt warmer. Then the guards’ footsteps got closer. _Well, that was short lived._

Dmitry quickly dived into a nearby bush, careful not to let the top of his head show. 

“He couldn’t have gone far! Search the entire forest if you have to!” _Gleb, give it a fucking rest._

But Dmitry _did_ steal the only thing the kingdom had to remember the lost princess by. It was a pretty big dick move, _but_ Dmitry didn’t know it was hers. There was no label on the thing that said _Property of Princess Anastasia Romanov. Do Not Steal Please._ Besides, the kingdom still had Princess Olga, Tatiana, and Maria plus Prince Alexei. _They_ didn’t perish in a tragic fire. 

The only thing that mattered was that he was out and had something of value to sell. Everyone else could fuck off for all he cared. 

Years seemed to pass as Dmitry stayed hidden. His legs began to cramp, and his back had started to ache. He risked poking his head out to see if any guards lingered. The coast seemed clear, but he felt uneasy. It couldn’t have been this simple. He barely had to put up a fight. 

However, Dmitry wasn’t handed things, so maybe he should just take this one thing that was given to him. Hey, he wasn’t one to argue with the universe’s need to see him escape. 

He cautiously got out of the bush, careful to stay low to the ground. There were no guards around, no wild animal ready to attack him, no stick waiting to be stepped on and give him away. Nothing had ever been this easy. 

Dmitry was beginning to doubt that he was actually getting away with this, when he saw a large passageway hidden by vines. _Okay, this is_ too _easy now._ But getting caught was not an option, so Dmitry took the opportunity the world seemed to be giving him. 

Hidden behind the wall of vines was the tallest tower Dmitry had ever seen. Even more vines covered the thing, trailing all the way to the top. 

It was _perfect._

No one would ever find him there; he could hide out until the hunt for him was over. Except he didn’t see an entrance or a way to get in besides the small window at the very top of the tower. 

Dmitry dug through his satchel, hoping to find some rope. Instead he found four arrows, and that was it. 

_No problem. I can make it work._

No way was he going back to the kingdom. No way could he make it through the forest without getting caught. This tower was his best and only option. 

Dmitry took the arrows and walked to the base of the tower. He considered using the vines but they’d snap before he could even make it halfway. Then he shoved the first arrow into the stone. Miraculously, it didn’t break or shatter. He tried taking it out; no damage. He’d have to remind himself to thank the universe later. 

The climb was long and meticulous, but soon he made it to the top. He lifted himself through the window and almost immediately collapsed onto the floor. But he was alone. _He did it._

Then the world went black. 

* * *

Anya tried to not let out a screech as the man fell to the floor. He didn’t look dangerous, but Uncle had told her to never underestimate anyone. Actually, he looked… kind of handsome. 

Anya shook her head, careful not to get distracted. 

“Anya? Are you okay?” Uncle Ra called from his room. He couldn’t find this man here. He would use it as ammunition against Anya. She would never see the light of day again. 

“Yes! Everything is fine!” Anya shouted. She had to hide him. She couldn’t keep him in her room, that would cause too much noise. But where else could he go? Then Anya spotted the closet. 

She took a deep breath, braced herself, and lifted the man up. Or tried to at least. She immediately lost her grip and he fell to the floor again. She grabbed his arms and tried to drag him to the closet, causing her to slip and fall. 

Anya was already running out of breath and patience. Whoever this guy was, Uncle Ra _could not_ find him. If only he were lighter. 

“Come on, Anya,” she muttered to herself. If she could do this one thing, she could do anything. 

She grabbed his ankles, right above his boots, and pulled as hard as she could. He was slowly dragged across the floor, getting close and closer to the closet. _I can do this._

“Anya? Are you getting hungry?” Uncle called from the top of the stairs. Fortunately, the closet couldn’t be seen. It still made Anya terrified. 

Despite the small grumble of her stomach saying otherwise, Anya said, “No, I’m okay for now.” She hoped it was enough to stall Uncle for a few more minutes. 

She finally arrived at the closet, man in tow. He couldn’t have been much older than her; maybe twenty at the oldest. How did he even find her? No one knew about her; no one could have found out. 

Anya opened the closet doors, and slid her hands underneath the man’s shoulders. She lifted with all her strength, almost collapsing as the man was a full foot taller than her. They both wobbled and Anya almost lost her grip, but the man leaned forward and fell into the closet. A foot and hand were sticking out, but Anya quickly shoved them inside and slammed the doors. 

Her breathing was heavy, but she felt accomplished. She had a person in her closet. She had a person in her closet! She had a _person_ in her _closet!_

Uncle Ra had to see this. If he knew that she handled the situation with grace and ease, he’d _have_ to let her go outside. 

“Uncle! Come downstairs, I have a surprise!” Anya shouted. Her heart sped up and hope coursed through her veins. She would finally get what she wanted. 

Uncle Ra came downstairs. He looked annoyed, but Anya was sure he’d share her excitement. 

“So, I know you said not to bring up the lights anymore,” Anya started. 

Uncle Ra sighed, “Yes, I specifically told you _not_ to talk about it anymore.” 

“Yes, I know, but I have something that I think will change your mind.” 

“Anya, I highly doubt that.” 

She wouldn’t be pushed aside. She’d make her uncle listen. She had to. 

“Well, I know the main reason you won’t let me leave is because you think I can’t handle myself out there-”

“Anya, I _know_ you can’t handle yourself out there,” Uncle Ra interrupted. Why did he think so little of her? She wasn’t entirely helpless. “You burn yourself making soup! You couldn’t possibly keep yourself safe out in the _world._ Be realistic, Anya.” 

But she _was_ being realistic. She knocked a random man out! She stuffed him in her closet! She was more capable than her uncle realized. 

A sudden truth hit her.

He didn’t _want_ to realize how capable she was. If he came to that realization, he would lose her. And her powers. 

She was nothing more than a glorified bandage to him. She wasn’t a real person in his eyes. 

“I-I just wanted to say that I-” Anya started. She could feel tears welling up, but she refused to cry. “I know what I want for my birthday now. Instead of the… lights.”

“What, then?” 

“New paint. From those shells that you brought me once.” The shells really were beautiful, and Anya _did_ need new paint. The only thing was that it took three days to get those shells. 

“That’s a very long trip, Anya. I’d miss your birthday.” Sure, like he was worried about that. 

“I-I know. I just thought it would be a better idea.” She could see the gears turning in her uncle’s head, and knew that he would do it if it meant she’d let go of the lights. She wouldn’t let go though. She continued to hold on with all her might. 

Uncle Ra sighed, but agreed. He’d leave right away so he could be there for her special day. Like Anya believed that. 

The moment he was on the ground and out of sight, Anya raced to the closet, throwing open the doors. The man fell straight to the floor, and Anya heard a slight snap. She quickly healed him, then grabbed a chair to tie him to. Who knew who he was and what he was after. He could have found out about her somehow. She wouldn’t let him have the upper hand. 

With the last knot of her hair tied, she prepared for him to wake up. 

She soon got very bored. 

She paced around the room, only to be stopped short by the sudden weight tied to her hair. _Right._

She was in front of the closet and suddenly saw something she hadn’t before. A small satchel. She grabbed it and dug around. She felt the stab of something sharp, but she could fix that later. Also inside the bag was a… music box? 

Anya looked back towards the man. He didn’t seem like the kind of person to own a music box. But she had no idea who he was, so maybe he _was_ that kind of person. 

She lifted the box up to see the bottom, and found a small crank. She turned it and the top of the box slowly opened, revealing a porcelain man and woman dancing together. 

The tune was slow and almost melancholic. It also sounded strangely familiar. 

Anya found herself humming along, though she doubted she ever heard the song before. 

Behind her, the man began to awaken, and Anya slammed the top down and shoved the box back in the satchel. She crept towards the small kitchen, grabbing a frying pan.

“Wha… where am I?” the man asked. Anya could feel her heart about to explode, but she kept her breathing steady. “Is this all… hair?” Anya blushed at that. 

She took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows. “Struggling is pointless,” she threatened. The man whipped his head to look at her and they both seemed at a loss for words. She wasn’t wrong; he really was handsome. But he could also be dangerous. 

“Who are you?” Anya asked. “And how did you find me?” 

The man kept staring which made Anya only a little self conscious. She had never felt self conscious before. 

Anya repeated her question, which snapped the man out of his stupor. “I-I didn’t know anyone lived here. I was… running from someone. And this looked like the safest place.” 

It didn’t seem like he was lying. Maybe _he_ could take Anya to see the lights. 

“What’s your name?” Anya asked. 

The man seemed to choose his words carefully before saying, “Dmitry.” 

_Dmitry._ It suited him. 

“Well, Dmitry, I’m Anya. You’re going to help me.” 


	2. look at the world so close (and i'm halfway to it)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya was about to throw the satchel out of the window when Dmitry yellled, “Wait!” She turned to face him, and he could see fire in her eyes. God, she’s terrifying. “Fine. I’ll take you to see the lanterns.” 
> 
> Anya smiled and the room lit up again. She was going to kill him, Dmitry was certain of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the wonderful comments!! this chapter is slightly shorter and honestly kinda just a filler chapter but we have bickering dimya and dmitry is already falling for anya so i think that makes up for it

No. No, no, no. Dmitry was not going to take orders from some skinny little brat. She was tiny; he could take her. If he weren’t currently tied up with her hair, which he still couldn’t fully wrap his head around. 

“No, I’m not going to do anything for you,” Dmitry said. The girl - Anya, she had said - glared at him. Her grip on her frying pan tightened. She couldn’t have been much younger than him, maybe eighteen at the youngest, but she acted like such a child. He could almost imagine her stomping around her tiny tower, throwing a fit.

Then something dawned on Dmitry. He didn’t have his satchel. He discreetly looked around, hoping it was in plain sight. 

“Looking for this?” Anya asked, holding his satchel by the strap.  _ Shit.  _ She opened the satchel and pulled out the music box. “You are going to help me, Dmitry.” Hearing his name on her tongue felt jarring. She didn’t know him, he didn’t know her. “And  _ after _ you help me, I will give you your music box back.” 

_ This little shit.  _

She may have looked fragile, but she wasn’t helpless. The smirk on her face proved to Dmitry that she already knew that. 

He was trapped. Either say no and get thrown out of her tower, or say yes and possibly risk his life for his freedom. Well, that had already been his entire life. Why stop now?

“Fine. I’ll help you,” Dmitry grumbled. Anya’s smirk turned into a genuine smile. She seemed to radiate sunlight and Dmitry didn’t know how to react to it. “What do I have to do?” 

Anya stuffed the music box back into the satchel and placed it down along with her frying pan. She sat down in front of him and tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. Dmitry was reminded that he was currently tied up with the same hair. It wasn’t any less freaky the more he remembered. 

“So, my birthday is tomorrow. And every year, these lights rise into the sky. I want you to take me to them,” Anya said. Her eyes lit up and her smile grew even bigger and Dmitry noticed how the room seemed brighter -  _ wait _ . Lights, sky, annually. 

“Are you talking about the lantern thing the kingdom does for the princess?” Dmitry asked. Anya seemed to think it over for a moment, then nodded.  _ Fuck me.  _

No. No, no, no. Dmitry was not going to risk his life for some skinny little brat. Yes, she had his one ticket to a better life, and she seemed to shine when she talked about the lanterns in a way Dmitry’s never seen before, but he didn’t even know her. If he did a favor for every random girl he had come across then he’d already be in prison. 

“Yeah, no can do,” Dmitry said. Anya’s jaw dropped. Dmitry was unnerved by how easily she showed her emotions. He was taught to keep his emotions in check and to have a blank face no matter what. It made getting away with things a lot easier. Anya wouldn’t last a day with him and Vlad. 

“You said you would help me!” Anya said. She stood up and Dmitry couldn’t help but notice how even sitting he was slightly taller than her. She was still threatening though. 

“Listen, Blondie, I just risked my life trying to escape from the kingdom. I’m not going to walk back in with someone with a hundred feet of hair. We’d be the most suspicious couple there.” 

Anya’s eyes narrowed. She stomped over to where she placed Dmitry’s satchel. She snatched it by the strap and made her way to the window. 

_ Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. _

Anya was about to throw the satchel out of the window when Dmitry yelled, “Wait!” She turned to face him, and he could see fire in her eyes.  _ God, she’s terrifying.  _ “Fine. I’ll take you to see the lanterns.” 

Anya smiled and the room lit up again. She was going to kill him, Dmitry was certain of it. 

* * *

Anya couldn’t believe it worked. She was going to see the lights - lanterns, Dmitry called them. It was everything she had wanted since she was ten. She truly couldn’t believe it. 

“I don’t have all day, Blondie!” Dmitry yelled. The nickname she could do without, but Anya was actually grateful for him. Yes, she did technically force him into it, but he could have said no. He was a quarter of the way down the tower, using the arrows from his satchel while Anya was frozen to the windowsill. 

She couldn’t move. Her entire life has been leading to this moment, but she couldn’t find it in herself to make the leap. 

“I can do this,” Anya muttered. “I can do this.” 

She looked back, taking one last look at her tiny little tower. The only thing she’d know for seventeen years. 

Anya gripped her frying pan in one hand, her hair in the other, and jumped. 

The wind whipped at her face. She had never felt wind before. The ground kept getting closer and closer. She had never been on the ground before. 

Right before she touched the ground, Anya yanked on her hair, stopping her fall. Her heart was in her throat and she couldn’t feel her legs. Slowly, Anya uncurled herself from the ball she was in, her feet barely touching the grass. She took a deep breath and released the death grip she had on her hair, planting all of her weight on the ground. 

The grass was cold and sent jolts of lightning up her legs. It was like nothing Anya had ever encountered in her entire life. 

She began to walk in a sort of trance. She could only look up, eyes focused on how different the sky looked from so far away. Her feet were suddenly covered with something cold and wet, and Anya laughed when she found that it was a stream. She had never laughed like that in her life. 

“Dmitry!” Anya called. He was almost down the tower, looking tired but not regretful. “Look! I’m standing in a stream!” Dmitry smiled at her and it shocked Anya almost as much as everything else she had just encountered.  _ He has a nice smile.  _

Why her uncle had shut her up in a tower her whole life when  _ this  _ was all around them, she’d never know. 

_ Uncle Ra is going to kill me.  _

“Hey, Blondie, are you okay?” Dmitry asked. He was suddenly in front of her, slowly dragging her out of the stream. She didn’t even notice when he got down the tower. 

“My uncle is going to be furious,” Anya muttered. His opinion shouldn’t have mattered anymore, but it  _ did.  _ Uncle Ra was the only person in Anya’s life; if she didn’t have him, who did she have? “This is going to kill him.” 

_ He won’t ever find out.  _ Anya would make sure of it. He  _ couldn’t  _ find out. 

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Dmitry said slowly.  _ What?  _ No, Anya would do this; she  _ had  _ to. She would be back before her uncle even began his return home. 

“What do you mean?” Anya asked. 

“Well, if you’re too scared to disapp-”

“I’m not scared!” Anya said, taking a step away from Dmitry. “You will take me to see those lanterns, and then you’ll take me back here. That’s our deal.” 

Dmitry sighed. He was an idiot if he thought he was going to talk her out of this. 

* * *

He wasn’t annoyed. He doubted it would work; she was way too stubborn. He  _ was  _ slightly unnerved though. Dmitry had never met anyone like her. She was full of contradictions and it made his head spin. 

“So, I’m assuming we’re not going to talk about your weird uncle,” Dmitry said. They had been walking for almost an hour, silence from both of them. Dmitry wasn’t even sure they were going in the right direction. 

“He’s not weird. He’s overprotective.” 

Dmitry snorted. “Same difference.” 

Anya swatted his arm. “No it’s not. My uncle… he worries about me, and for good reason.” 

“You’re not defenseless though. You’ve proven that.” Anya’s cheeks grew pink, and Dmitry pretended not to notice that it was kind of… cute. 

_ No, no.  _ He wouldn’t go and fall for some girl he met two hours ago. He was being stupid. 

“I know I’m not defenseless. My uncle just likes to pretend that I am.”  _ Jackass.  _ “Besides, I’ve gotten used to it. It’s just how he shows he cares.” 

Dmitry…  _ pitied  _ her. And he didn’t pity anyone. God, how many times was she going to flip his world around in a single day? But she was obviously smart and talented and capable, and this asshole who she claimed loved her was just ignoring all those wonderful qualities because it was convenient. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but your uncle sounds like a real piece of shit,” Dmitry said. Anya threw her head back and laughed. Everything around her seemed to shine, not unlike when they were in the tower. 

Anya sobered up and said, “I know the things he does aren’t right. I know he uses me in a way an uncle shouldn’t, but he’s the only family I have left. Even if he doesn’t treat me… kindly sometimes, I’d rather have that than nothing.” 

Anya kept walking, but Dmitry stopped. It was amazing how they were polar opposites. He’d rather have nothing than someone who treated him like shit. He had proven that with Vlad. 

“What?” Anya asked. She stopped a few paces in front of him, looking back.  _ You baffle me.  _

“Nothing,” Dmitry said. He continued walking, quickly catching up with her. 

* * *

Anya’s excitement soon died down and she grew exhausted. Her feet ached and her stomach growled and her skin burned. She soon realized she hated being outside. 

“How much farther?” Anya whined. Dmitry was a few feet ahead, on the lookout for anyone who could attack. Anya thought it was pointless. They were in a dense forest; who was going to attack them? 

“It’ll take longer if you keep asking, Blondie,” Dmitry called back. Okay, the nickname was starting to  _ really  _ get on her nerves. But he was her only hope. Unfortunately. 

“But we’ve been walking for hours. Surely we must be getting closer,” Anya reasoned. Sure, she didn’t know how big the forest actually was, or how far the kingdom was from the tower, but all the walking couldn’t have been pointless. Unless Dmitry was taking her in the wrong direction. 

“Dmitry,” Anya said. He stopped, turned to look at her. “We’re going in the right direction, aren’t we?” She tried to sound pleasant, but she was cranky. At least he had the decency to look guilty. “We’re not even going in the right direction?!” 

“It’s a fucking forest, Blondie! I don’t have a compass and I’m not a human map, so who knows.” 

She felt her blood boil. At first she thought he wasn’t that bad, cute even, but after his attempt to talk her out of seeing the lanterns, his rude comments, and now  _ this…  _ She hated him. The second person she’d ever known and she hated him. 

“ _ You _ should know! You’re supposed to be my guide!” 

“I didn’t sign up for it!” They got closer with every shout, and Anya pretended not to notice how they were in each other’s space now.  _ God, he’s so tall, it’s annoying.  _

“You could have said no!” Not technically true, but she needed more reasons to yell at him. “I could have found the kingdom on my own!”

Dmitry scoffed. “You had your whole life to do so, so why didn’t you?” It felt like a punch to the gut. He wasn’t wrong; she could have left so long ago. Why didn’t she? 

_ Because I was scared. And I still am.  _

“Blo- Anya, I’m sorry, I didn’t me-”

“No, it’s… Maybe we should rest. It’s been a long day,” Anya muttered. Dmitry opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it and closed his mouth. 

It felt strange to admit she was scared, even to herself. Her entire life she had been protected; why did she think she could do this? Uncle Ra was right; she wouldn’t have been able to handle the world by herself. 

“Anya, I really am sorry,” Dmitry said. She actually believed him, which shocked her more than her fear. 

“Don’t be,” Anya said. She took a breath and asked, “How do we set up a camp?” 

Dmitry chuckled and it felt like the dust had settled. Maybe she didn’t hate him. Maybe they could survive this trip without killing each other. 

* * *

Dmitry couldn’t sleep. He usually couldn’t sleep, but that was mostly because he was constantly being chased by guards. Now though, it was because of Anya. 

She snored so fucking loudly, he wondered how her uncle didn’t strangle her in her sleep. 

Even in sleep she was a force to be reckoned with. 

He was about to  _ finally  _ drift off to sleep when her snoring was replaced with whimpering. 

Dmitry bolted up, saw Anya curled up in a ball, her forehead lined with sweat. He made his way to her as quietly as he could. She was muttering something he couldn’t quite hear, and it made his heart squeeze in sympathy. 

“Anya,” he whispered. She didn’t react. Dmitry tried not to touch her, hoping she would hear and wake up on her own. “ _ Anya _ ,” he said, a little louder, a little more urgent. Still no response. 

Soon the whimpering got worse, her forehead more sweaty. 

_ Fine.  _

Dmitry lightly shoved her in the shoulder, which almost kind of worked. He grabbed both of her shoulders, careful not to jolt her awake. The process had to be slow. He lightly shook her, and her breathing grew slower. 

“Anya!” Dmitry said, not exactly shouting, but loud enough to hopefully wake her. It worked; Anya’s eyes flew open and she collapsed into Dmitry’s arms. She wrapped her arms around him and Dmitry rested his chin on the top of her head. 

It took him a moment to realize she was crying. 

“It’s okay, it was just a nightmare,” he whispered. She nodded, but tightened her grip on him. A few hours ago he wanted to strangle her, and now he was  _ comforting  _ her. She was more trouble than he realized. It was strange that he didn’t really mind. 

“I’m okay now,” she muttered a few minutes later. They let go of each other and Dmitry realized there was a large wet spot on his shirt. “Sorry,” Anya said. Dmitry laughed. He didn’t mind.

“It’s fine,” he said. Anya smiled, tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.  _ What  _ was  _ the deal with her hair?  _ Dmitry had wondered since he first met her, and the truth didn’t seem to be coming out any time soon. 

Dmitry moved back to his spot on the ground, hoping to  _ finally  _ get sleep when Anya said, “Wait, Dmitry.” She looked bright red. “Could you… could you stay with me? Just in case I…” 

It was almost too painful to watch. 

“Sure,” he said. Anya’s smile was shy, unlike her usual big, bright smiles. She was flustered and Dmitry almost found it cute. 

_ You barely know her. She’ll break your heart.  _

Dmitry shoved the thought aside and moved back towards Anya. It was awkward at first trying to find a comfortable position for both of them, but soon Dmitry was on the ground, Anya’s head on his stomach. 

They quickly fell back asleep. 


	3. and with every passing hour i'm so glad i left my tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Standing in the doorway was Gleb.
> 
> “You got to be fucking kidding me,” Dmitry muttered.
> 
> “Who’s that?” Anya asked. She looked like she was about to pass out. 
> 
> “Some asshole who won’t leave me alone.”

Anya had had nightmares before, that wasn’t new. Ghosts of people she didn’t recognize would visit her bedroom, whispering things she didn’t want to believe. That they were her family. That she didn’t even know herself. That everything she knew was a lie. 

What was new was Dmitry. He had woken her,  _ comforted  _ her, stayed with her all through the night. Sure, when she had first been plagued with the ghosts as a kid, Uncle Ra had calmed her down. As she grew however, he didn’t bother anymore. She didn’t even know if he could hear her whimpers, or if he had learned to tune out her pain.

When Anya woke up the second time, she was surprised that she could see the sky. It was a beautiful reddish color that nearly took her breath away. She was also surprised by the slow breathing underneath her head. 

_ Right.  _ She had used Dmitry as her pillow after he woke her. Now that she was well rested and calm, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. He had heard her sobs, seen her at one of her lowest points. But he stayed. 

She stayed still for a moment longer, just wanting to bask in the quiet. He looked so peaceful when he slept, like nothing could touch him. She wondered how much weight he was forced to carry if sleep changed his features completely. 

Anya was about to wake him, anxious to get moving, when she heard the snap of a twig. Dmitry’s eyes flew open and they both bolted up. Anya grabbed her frying pan while Dmitry took out the few arrows he had. 

“Look boys! It’s Dmitry Sudayev!” a voice said. Anya looked up to see a man up in the trees, a bow and some arrows of his own. More men emerged from the bushes, various weapons lifted. 

_ They’re here for you,  _ a voice not unlike her uncle’s echoed in her head.  _ You never should have left.  _ But the man addressed Dmitry, not Anya. 

“And he’s got a girlfriend,” the man in the tree said. He jumped down, landing right in front of Anya. “With  _ quite  _ the hairstyle.” He began to reach for her hair, but Dmitry grabbed his wrist before he could. 

“Leave her out of this,” Dmitry said, his voice low. His response only caused the man’s permanent smirk to grow as he yanked his arm away. 

“You know, we were starting to think those royals finally got you. I mean, after Vlad dumped you, we assumed you’d end up dead in a ditch. But  _ this, _ ” the man gestured to Anya, “is much more interesting.” 

Dmitry got more tense the more the man talked, and Anya wanted to put a stop to it. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t going to get in their way. 

“I’m sure you all have things to talk about, but we’re kind of on a tight schedule,” Anya said. All eyes were on her and it was slightly unnerving. “So, if you could just let us pass-”

“Oh, so she’s got you on a leash, is that how this whole thing works, Dima?” the man asked, his tone venomous. Okay, now she was getting mad. 

Anya was about to make a retort when Dmitry responded. By punching the man in the face. 

He quickly fell to the ground, and the other men surrounding them charged. One man with a long dagger lunged towards Anya, but she whacked him with her frying pan before he could get closer. She heard metal clanging and turned to see Dmitry fighting a woman with a spear. 

The woman slashed her spear, almost getting Dmitry. Panic began to drown her as the woman’s spear got dangerously close to Dmitry’s head. 

Anya was too focused on watching Dmitry, she didn’t realize someone grabbing her. She let out a screech and kicked the person in the shin. Anya then slammed her frying pan down on their head, knocking them out. 

“Fuck this!” Anya heard the leader yell. “Move out!” Weapons were dropped and then it was just Anya and Dmitry. 

Her breathing was very heavy and she felt like she was about to collapse. As tired as she was, she realized that technically they had won.  _ They won! _ Sure, the other group had forfeited, but a forfeit was still a win. 

“Dmitry, we-” She turned to face him, only to see him on the ground, his side stained red. “ _ Dmitry! _ ” Anya yelled, rushing to his side. His breathing was shallow and he was incredibly pale. “No, no, Dmitry you’re going to be okay.” She was going to save him. She  _ had  _ to save him. 

“Blondie,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “I have no fucking clue where we are. We can’t get any supplies in time.” Seeing him so weak made Anya’s heart hurt, but she knew he was going to be okay. “You’ll have better luck finding the kingdom on your own.” 

Anya scoffed. “If you think I’m leaving you, then you’re an idiot.” Dmitry’s smile was soft and it made Anya’s stomach swoop. “Just hold still… and don’t freak out.” His smile was replaced with confusion as Anya gathered up her hair. She began to wrap it around his side, careful not to aggravate his injury. 

Once her hair was secure, Anya took a deep breath and began to sing. 

_ Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know. Things it yearns to remember. And a song someone sings, once upon a December.  _

Her hair began to glow, bathing Dmitry in its light. It made him look… almost ethereal.

Once she finished singing and the light disappeared, Dmitry pushed her hair away and poked his side. It was completely healed. 

He opened his mouth to say something (or maybe scream) when Anya said, “Please don’t freak out!” He immediately shut his mouth. 

“I-I-I I’m  _ not  _ freaking out, okay? I- I’m just- I’m  _ curious  _ about the mystical properties your hair seems to have,” Dmitry rushed out, his voice going up almost two octaves. Anya bursted out laughing, Dmitry soon joining in. She had never seen him so flustered and awkward; it was really cute.  _ Wait. No.  _

No, no, no. She  _ could not  _ be having those thoughts. Yes, she had thought he was cute before, but that was before she knew him. Before he had held her and made sure she was okay. Before he had defended her. Now was not the time to be falling for her guide. 

“Are you okay now?” Anya asked once the laughter died down. She knew he was, but she needed the distraction. Dmitry poked his side again then gave her a thumbs up.  _ Not cute at all.  _

* * *

Of course she had magic hair. Of course the girl locked up in a tall tower had  _ magic hair.  _ Dmitry had not freaked out as Anya had wished, but he had so many questions. 

How did she get the magic hair? Why did she have to sing? Why did the hair  _ glow?  _ How the fuck was he  _ not  _ supposed to freak out, because he was very much freaking out. 

“You’re awfully quiet,” Anya commented. They had walked for almost an hour, and Dmitry spent that time trying to make sure his head wouldn’t burst. “It’s because of my hair, isn’t it?” She sounded uncomfortable. Was she ashamed? 

“No, no, no,” Dmitry lied, albeit unconvincingly. “I-I I’m just… interested about…” Anya narrowed her eyes, clearly not convinced. “Okay, yes, I’m freaked out about the hair!”

“It’s not  _ that  _ big of a deal,” Anya said. She was fidgeting, wrapping strands of hair around her wrists. She was truly extraordinary. 

“Blondie, you saved my life with seventy feet of hair that  _ glows.  _ That’s fucking awesome,” he said, hoping to make her feel better. It seemed to sort of work; her smile wasn’t as bright, but the fidgeting stopped. 

Dmitry suddenly stopped, knowing exactly where they were. 

“What?” Anya asked. “We’re not going to be ambushed again, are we?” 

Well, it was her birthday after all, and she did save his life. 

“Not this time.” He paused, then asked, “How about I treat you to a birthday lunch?” Anya’s eyes widened and her smile turned genuine. “C’mon, I know a place.” 

The closer they got, the more excited Anya became. She began rambling, saying how her uncle rarely brought home any good food, how she wished she had the ingredients to make all the things she’d read about.  _ So  _ not _ adorable.  _

When they reached The Neva Club, Anya stopped dead in her tracks. The smell was almost overwhelming, and Dmitry hated how much he missed this small, dingy restaurant. 

“Are you ready?” Dmitry asked. Anya nodded, trying hard to suppress her excitement. 

They walked in and Anya gasped. Sure, it wasn’t the most classy restaurant, but it had its perks. Yes, the floor was always kind of sticky, and there wasn’t much light, and more often than not criminals hid out here, but it was a nice enough place. 

All eyes were on them as they made their way towards an empty table. Anya kept looking around, not being subtle at all. 

“Maybe tone down all the staring,” Dmitry muttered. Anya blushed and looked down at the table. 

“I just don’t want a repeat of earlier,” Anya said, refusing to meet Dmitry’s eyes. Well, he was right about one thing: they really were the most suspicious couple. But she had a reason to be worried about everyone here; Dmitry was too. He’d been in enough fights at The Neva Club to know that one wrong look would end with someone throwing something at you. Usually something breakable. 

“Hey, relax. It’s your birthday, and you got me in case anyone tries anything,” Dmitry said. Anya looked up, a look of shock on her face. Dmitry was shocked too, not aware how much he meant it until he said it out loud. It wasn’t even because she still owed him the music box, he genuinely wanted her to be safe. 

He had never worried about anyone else’s safety except his and Vlad’s before. It was a weird feeling. But a good weird. 

“You’re right. I should just relax,” Anya said, not relaxed at all. 

Soon a waiter came to take their order. He kept eyeing Anya, a small smirk on his face. Dmitry knew Dunya would never hire someone she didn’t trust, and he trusted Dunya, but Dmitry really wanted to punch this guy. 

“What’s up with you?” Anya asked as soon as he left. Dmitry was glaring at the waiter as he walked towards the kitchen. 

He blushed, embarrassed he got caught. “Nothing,” he grumbled. 

Anya dropped it, instead changing the subject to the lanterns. Except Dmitry didn’t hear a word she said. The air felt different, tense almost. 

Dmitry ducked his head just in time to dodge an arrow sailing over his head. Standing in the doorway was Gleb. 

“You got to be fucking kidding me,” Dmitry muttered. 

“Who’s that?” Anya asked. She looked like she was about to pass out. 

“Some asshole who won’t leave me alone.” 

Gleb sauntered into the restaurant, looking around at all the other patrons. No doubt he had either arrested them or planned to arrest them. But soon he set his sights on Dmitry. 

“Really, Sudayev? The Neva Club?” Gleb asked. “I didn’t think you’d be that predictable.” 

Dmitry didn’t think so either, but it all came circling back to Anya. He’d been doing too many things he thought he would never do and it was all because of her. He tried not to think about it that much. 

“Well, what can I say, I like to make things easier for you, Gleb,” Dmitry deadpanned. He noticed Anya playing with her hair, clearly nervous.  _ A great birthday so far. _

Then she did something that beat every weird, shocking thing she did in the past two days Dmitry knew her. “Can I speak to you outside?” she asked Gleb. 

* * *

Anya didn’t know what she was doing; she just didn’t want to see Dmitry get hurt again. And something about that Gleb guy seemed awfully familiar.

Both Gleb and Dmitry looked as shocked as Anya felt. But Gleb agreed. 

“Listen, I’m going to tell you the truth because I think you’ll sympathize,” Anya said. They were a few feet away from the restaurant, and Anya could feel Dmitry’s eyes on her from inside. “I have a gift, a  _ rare  _ gift that has kept me locked in a tower for my entire life. Now, today is my birthday, and every year I see these lanterns float into the sky. Dmitry is taking me to see them, in person, for the first time ever. I know you seem to want to kill each other, but I  _ need  _ him. Not just as my guide, but…” 

“You like him, don’t you?” Gleb asked. Anya blushed, nodding just slightly. She didn’t really know in what way yet, but she knew that she wanted to be around him and talk to him all the time. “You remind me of someone I cared about a lot, and you seem like a good judge of character. So, I’ll do this one thing.” Anya smiled, but her elation was quickly cut off. “But  _ only  _ for today. Tomorrow comes, he’s behind bars.” 

Anya nodded, satisfied enough with Gleb’s answer. At least she could spend the rest of her birthday with him in peace. 

“Thank you,” she said, hoping he knew how much she meant it. 

“And because I’m such a nice person who’s doing this huge favor for Sudayev, I’ll even escort you two to the kingdom.” 

Gleb made his way back inside to get Dmitry, leaving Anya alone. 

“I thought he would never leave,” a too familiar voice said from behind Anya. She had dealt with too many surprises today and it was hardly noon. Anya spun around to see Uncle Ra. He looked slightly disheveled, his beard too long and his hair too messy. There was also some gray in his hair that Anya couldn’t remember seeing before. 

It was almost impossible for Anya to speak. “W-what are you doing here?” She noticed Uncle Ra had something in his hands. A satchel. “Where did you get that?” 

“I’m not an idiot, Anya. Did you think you could just send me away and run? And with a  _ criminal _ ! Are you trying to break your poor uncle’s heart?” 

She was tired of this game, of being blamed for not wanting to watch her own life pass her by anymore. She was tired of her uncle telling her about all the ways she was ruining his life for not wanting what he wanted. 

“You’re not even my family! You just took me in so you could control every aspect of my life! I finally know what I want, and you just dismiss it like it doesn’t matter. And Dmitry may be a criminal, but he’s nicer and kinder to me than you have ever been.” 

Uncle Ra looked taken aback, like the last thing he expected was for Anya to snap. But it felt  _ good  _ to finally speak her mind. To say all the things she never could as a kid. 

Suddenly everything clicked for Anya. She wouldn’t go back to the tower. She would take Dmitry’s satchel from her uncle and return his music box. She would take her life into her own hands and make it hers. Even if it turned out messy, it would be  _ hers.  _

“You will give me that satchel, and you’ll go back to the tower. And don’t wait up for me, because I am  _ never  _ coming back,” Anya said. 

In the distance, Dmitry shouted, “Blondie, I got our food, let’s go!” Well, at least Gleb didn’t kill him yet. 

Pure, unadulterated fury was evident on Uncle Ra’s face. Anya was slightly terrified, but she couldn’t show it. Instead, she held out her hand, waiting for him to give her the satchel. He complied, grumbling all the way. 

“You’ll fuck up in some way, then beg me to let you back in,” Uncle Ra growled, stalking back into the forest. 

Anya thought she was going to cry. 

“Blondie!” Dmitry shouted. He was coming toward her, and Anya quickly hid the satchel behind her back. Just in case he saw it and decided to run off. Not that he would, but… “Are you ready to go?” 

Anya nodded, hoping her smile looked real. 

Gleb helped her onto his horse, careful not to let her fall. 

“She can do it herself,” Dmitry commented. Gleb said something about being a gentleman, but Anya’s attention was on Dmitry. He was looking at her too, making faces as Gleb continued talking. It made her giggle, and Gleb shot Dmitry a dirty look. 

“God, this is going to be a long trip,” Gleb muttered, causing Anya to giggle even more. 

* * *

Gleb regretted everything. If he knew escorting Sudayev and his weirdly familiar girlfriend would involve so much goddamn flirting, he would’ve just arrested him there and then. 

But something about Anya seemed too familiar. Like he had met her before, which would be impossible. She said it herself, she lived in a tower her whole life. 

And yet…

“Are we there yet?” Anya whined. She was slumped forward on his horse, her food from The Neva Club devoured in the first twenty minutes. For some reason Sudayev found it endearing, which made it even worse. 

“You asked that five minutes ago, so no, I don’t think we’re there yet,” Sudayev replied. They were both so annoying, it was going to drive Gleb insane. 

“Well, a lot can change in five minutes,” Anya retorted.  _ Yeah,  _ Gleb thought,  _ I could strangle you both and be at peace.  _

They continued going back and forth, growing louder by the second. Gleb regretted every decision he ever made in his life. 

He had to put a stop to it.

“Either kiss and resolve the sexual tension, or simply  _ shut up _ ,” Gleb said. It worked. They both turned a bright red, refusing to even look at each other. 

The rest of the journey was nice and quiet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gleb can have little a pov, as a treat


	4. i'm where i'm meant to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They met halfway, Dmitry’s hand outstretched. “Care to dance?” 
> 
> Anya smirked. “I thought you said you didn’t dance.” She took his hand anyway. 
> 
> “I thought I could make an exception. It is your birthday after all.” 
> 
> Other couples joined them, swaying in time with the music. The sun was setting and it bathed everything in a soft pink light. It made Anya look unearthly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i love this chapter a lot and i also watched the disney cruise tangled stage version and i fell back in love with flynn and rapunzel they're so cute

Dmitry couldn’t believe he was back. The kingdom looked too different, but at the same time absolutely nothing had changed. Of course nothing had changed; he was only gone for one day. 

Instead, he looked to Anya. Her hand was on her chest, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. His smile was soft as he shifted his gaze back to the kingdom. His home. 

Was it his home, though? It was where he lived, but it never truly felt like a  _ home.  _ The only time Dmitry felt like he belonged was with Vlad. He wasn’t necessarily a father figure, but he had cared about Dmitry, taking him in when every other street rat wanted him dead. But other than that, the kingdom was just a place where he had lived. Soon, he’d be long gone. 

“Try to stay out of sight,” Gleb said. “I can only do so much to keep the other guards from arresting you.” 

“Well, thanks for the effort,” Dmitry replied sarcastically. Anya glared at him. Old habits apparently did die hard. “I mean it, Gleb. Thank you.” 

“That sounded painful,” Anya muttered. Dmitry nudged her shoulder with his and they both smiled at each other. 

Gleb slowly parted ways with them, careful not to seem too suspicious. Of course that only made him look more suspicious. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying attention.

“So, what first?” Anya asked, eager to do anything and everything. Dmitry suddenly felt bold and decided to take her hand. He immediately felt awkward, but Anya just interlaced their fingers and started walking. 

The further they got into the kingdom, the more their walk was interrupted by someone stepping on Anya’s mile long hair. They tried to pile the locks into their arms (unfortunately forcing Dmitry to let go of Anya’s hand) but were unsuccessful. 

“This isn’t working,” Dmitry said. He was picking leaves and twigs out of Anya’s hair as they sat in a quiet alleyway. He could tell she was embarrassed and wished he could help in some way. “Can we tie it up?” 

Anya shook her head. “I’ve never tied my hair up. I don’t know how.” 

“Well, lucky for you, I know how,” Dmitry said. Anya looked at him, her smile soft but no less genuine. Like everything she did. “Just hold still, it’ll take awhile.” 

She did not hold still. She pointed out people walking past, animals scurrying by, the food that smelled absolutely  _ delicious,  _ which wasn’t subtle at all. Dmitry made a mental note to buy her some snacks later. She was also very fidgety, but not from discomfort, from boredom _.  _

“I know I have a lot of hair, but are you almost done, Dmitry?” Anya asked. “The day is almost over and we haven’t even done anything yet.” 

“Brat,” he muttered, but there was no malice behind it. His tone was actually kind of endearing. 

_ She’ll break your heart.  _

His brain wouldn’t stop reminding him that. 

Dmitry pushed the thought aside, braiding the last strands and tying the ends. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small patch of flowers. He plucked some, gently placing them in Anya’s braid. 

“ _ Dmitry _ ,” Anya whined. 

“Okay, okay, I’m done,” Dmitry said. He stood up, helping Anya up. Her hair ended slightly above her ankles. She gasped, twirling to try to get a better look. “Did I do a good job?” he asked. 

Anya didn’t say anything, just wrapped her arms around him. Despite her size, her hug was exceptionally tight. Dmitry found he didn’t really mind. 

* * *

Anya couldn’t get over how pretty her hair looked. Throughout the day, people kept complimenting her, and every time Anya would look to Dmitry. 

She had to hug him to stop herself from kissing him. He had done so much for her, so much that he didn’t have to do. As the day went on, she almost convinced herself that maybe he wouldn’t mind if she kissed him. 

“Do you have a dream?” Anya asked. They were in another alleyway, but it was adjacent to the town square so they could see everything. 

Dmitry almost spit out his food. “A dream?” 

“Yeah. Like for me, the lanterns are my dream. So what is yours?” 

She didn’t expect him to be so weird about it. He avoided her gaze, instead staring a hole into the wall beside them. 

He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and said, “I guess my dream is to get out of here.”  _ Oh.  _

Anya couldn’t fully wrap her head around that. “But the kingdom is your home.” 

Dmitry’s face seemed to darken. Anya immediately regretted opening her mouth. 

“It’s a place where I live, that’s all.” His tone wasn’t aggressive, it sounded more defeated. It made Anya’s heart hurt. “It’s not like I have a reason to stay anymore.” 

Maybe Anya could be his reason. 

“Dmitry, I-” Anya stopped herself. Her heart was pounding against her chest. “I don’t think I’m going back. To the tower, I mean. I’m actually thinking of staying in the kingdom, I mean I have to find a place to stay and a way to make my own money, but…” She was rambling and it was embarrassing.

It seemed to work; his eyes seemed brighter and he wasn’t avoiding her gaze anymore. 

He hesitated before saying, “Maybe I could stay for awhile. To help you get settled and all.” 

Anya smiled; she would really like that. 

They finished their food and - carefully - made their way around the kingdom, trying everything Anya wanted to try. They ended up in the town square just as three women and a young man in  _ very  _ elegant clothing made their way to the center of the square.

“Thank you everyone for coming to this year’s lantern festival. It means so much to me, my sisters, and my brother that you all could be here to celebrate our baby sister, Anastasia,” the eldest of the four said.

Anya pulled on Dmitry’s sleeve to get his attention. 

“Who are they?” she whispered.

“The prince and princesses,” he replied, like it was obvious. Well, looking at them it was rather obvious. “That’s why they do the lanterns every year: to celebrate the lost princess Anastasia.”  _ Anastasia.  _ Anya had no idea why the name sounded so familiar, but it did. Just like how Gleb seemed familiar when she had never met him before today. 

The princess continued to talk for a few more minutes, holding everyone’s attention as she retold the story of how her parents passed and how her sister was taken. Then she said, “Now, enough with all the tragedy. Let’s celebrate!” 

The crowd cheered and music started playing. Everyone moved out of the way so other people could dance. Anya looked at Dmitry; she wondered if he would dance with her. 

The dance looked simple enough. People were swapping partners, laughing, not caring whose hand they held as long as it was someone’s. Anya wanted that. Well, she  _ did  _ care about whose hand she held, but it seemed to be part of the dance. 

Anya took a deep breath, steadied herself, and took Dmitry’s hand. 

She began to walk towards the center, towards the crowd, when Dmitry said, “Sorry, Blondie, I don’t dance.” He pulled his hand out of Anya’s grip and her stomach dropped. 

_ Fine then.  _

“Well I’ll just join on my own then,” Anya said. Then, “And maybe a handsome suitor will sweep me off my feet.” She wasn’t serious, just hoping he would take the bait, but the look in his eyes made Anya think he thought she was serious. She was about to say she was just kidding when someone pulled on her elbow, and then she was dancing, wild and free.

* * *

Dmitry should have taken her offer. He could’ve been holding her hand, close enough to count the freckles on her cheeks. Instead he was sitting on the sidelines, forced to watch Anya dance with someone else. 

“She really is something, isn’t she?”  _ Great. Gleb.  _

“Your point?” Dmitry asked. He was hopeful when she had said she wouldn’t go back to the tower, but then her comment about a handsome suitor hit closer than it should have. 

“I’m just saying, if  _ someone  _ is too scared to make a move, someone else definitely will,” Gleb said, not making Dmitry feel any better. Gleb sighed. “If somehow, by chance, someone asks the band to play a slower song, maybe  _ someone _ could ask a certain girl with very long hair to dance.” He wasn’t being subtle at all, but Dmitry didn’t mind. It actually sounded like a good idea. 

“Fine,” Dmitry grumbled. Gleb smiled and left Dmitry to go talk to the band. 

Suddenly the fast tempo music slowed to a much softer tune. Dmitry realized that it was the Romanov’s lullaby.

The crowd in the center dispersed, and Dmitry saw Anya. Their eyes met and Dmitry could see Anya’s cheeks turn pink. 

They met halfway, Dmitry’s hand outstretched. “Care to dance?” 

Anya smirked. “I thought you said you didn’t dance.” She took his hand anyway. 

“I thought I could make an exception. It  _ is _ your birthday after all.” 

Other couples joined them, swaying in time with the music. The sun was setting and it bathed everything in a soft pink light. It made Anya look unearthly. 

“Dmitry,” Anya said. She avoided his gaze. “What if I see the lanterns and they’re not what I dreamed they would be?” 

“They will be,” he said without hesitation. Seeing those lanterns as a kid made Dmitry hopeful. Hopeful that he could escape, fly high into the sky just like them. 

“And what if they are? What then?” Anya muttered. She asked like she didn’t want to hear the answer, instead asking just because she had to get it out. 

Dmitry removed his hand from Anya’s waist, lifted her chin so she could look at him. He hoped that she could see what he was trying to convey. “Then you find a new dream.” Her cheeks turned a dark pink. 

Dmitry couldn’t tell if he was imagining it, but Anya seemed to lean in, and Dmitry found himself leaning in too. 

Trumpets blared and the two jumped apart. 

“To the boats!” someone shouted. 

Dmitry had never seen Anya smile so wide. 

* * *

Alexei felt more and more nervous the closer it got to the lanterns. He was almost of age, so his sisters thought it would be a wonderful idea to let him lead the ceremony this year. The ceremony for his long lost sister. What if he messed it up? The kingdom would never forgive him.

“Hey, baby brother,” Olga said, knocking on his bedroom door. She had kept her composure during her speech, meanwhile Alexei had felt like he would cry.  __

Yes, he hadn’t even known his parents and sister, but that’s what made it hurt even more. He wasn’t even allowed the time to know them. 

“It’s almost time for the ceremony. Are you ready?” Olga asked. Alexei shrugged. How ready could he be? 

“I guess,” Alexei muttered. Olga sat down on the bed next to him, wrapped her arm around his shoulders. 

“I know it can be hard. It took me years to finally be able to open up about it all,” Olga confessed. “The first festival we had I was crying all day.” 

For his entire life, Alexei had known Olga to be put together in front of the kingdom, to always know what to do when faced with a problem. He didn’t realize that she hadn’t been Miss Perfect her entire life. 

“I feel selfish,” Alexei said. His voice sounded small compared to Olga’s regal, attention grabbing one. “I regret not having known them, but you and Titania and Maria  _ did  _ know them. You lost them so young too.” 

Olga’s expression softened and she squeezed his arm. 

“Don’t feel selfish, baby brother. You still lost parents and a sister too.” 

Her words made Alexei not feel so alone. 

“Okay,” Alexei said. “I’m ready.”

* * *

Dmitry led Anya to a boat. A  _ boat.  _ He rented a  _ boat  _ for them. 

She almost couldn’t make herself get in. 

“Come on, Blondie. I don’t have all day.” A day ago a comment like that would have made Anya want to strangle him, but  _ now,  _ well, she wanted to kiss him. The whole day she had wanted to kiss him, if she was being honest. 

It was unnerving. 

She almost fell in, but Dmitry steadied her. He was way too close; Anya didn’t want him to pull away. 

“Are you ready?” he asked. Anya had waited her entire life for this exact moment. Of course she wasn’t ready. 

But she nodded, even though her nerves were shot. 

A comfortable silence settled over them as they waited for the first lantern to rise into the sky. 

Anya risked sneaking a look at Dmitry. He was staring at the castle, a look of longing on his face. Anya didn’t believe him when he said the kingdom wasn’t his home. The tower was  _ her  _ home even when it was oppressive. She refused to believe that he wouldn’t miss it. 

“Are you really going to stay and help me start a life here?” Anya asked. She had to make sure he was in it for  _ her.  _ Not the music box, not the chance of escape. 

Dmitry seemed startled, jumping a little bit at the sound of her voice.

“Of course,” he said, like yes was the obvious answer. Anya smiled and Dmitry smiled back. She saw his hand inch its way towards hers. It wasn’t the first time they held hands, but now it felt surprisingly more intimate. It made Anya blush. 

She was shocked by how much she desperately wanted to hold his hand again. 

“Anya, I-” Dmitry began to say, but something out of the corner of her eye made Anya completely ignore him. 

The lights. The lanterns.  _ It’s time.  _

Anya scrambled to the edge of the boat, wanting to be as close to the lights as possible. 

She could barely see the first lantern. The princesses and prince were standing on a balcony overlooking the water. Slowly, all the other lanterns were released into the sky, turning the night sky into day again. 

Anya knew immediately that this was where she was meant to be. 

She noticed Dmitry looking at her from the corner of her eye, and realized that she was meant to be here, in the kingdom, with  _ him.  _

She thought of the satchel she had kept hidden all day. Would he take it? Would he return it? Anya knew it belonged to the royal family at this point, but they didn’t seem very broken up about it. Maybe they just added it to the rest of their tragedies. 

Anya refused to think about it too much.

She pushed the thought away, and turned to face Dmitry. At the same time, they said, “I have something for you.” They both laughed. 

“You go first,” Dmitry said. Anya tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. She could do this. 

Anya pulled out the satchel, feeling slightly guilty. Guilty about keeping it from Dmitry or from the royal family, she didn’t know. 

“I know I should have given it to you sooner, but I was scared that you’d…” she trailed off.  _ That you’d run off.  _ Dmitry seemed to understand. “But the thing is I’m not so scared anymore.” She hoped he knew that that meant she trusted him fully. That she knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. 

Dmitry took the satchel from her but immediately put it on the floor of the boat. It made Anya’s heart glow a little. Then he reached behind him and pulled out two lanterns. 

Anya gasped. They were beautiful up close, a simple sun design on them. Dmitry handed her one and together they let them go. Anya watched them float into the sky, joining the thousands that were already floating. 

She looked back to Dmitry and found that he was already looking at her. Then she decided that she wasn’t going to walk on eggshells anymore and kissed him. 

He seemed frozen at first, and Anya thought she had crossed a line, that he didn’t want this after all, but then he relaxed and his hand cupped her cheek. 

Anya had meant for it to be a quick peck and done, but the kiss deepened (either by Anya or Dmitry or maybe both) and she felt like she was flying. 

They soon broke apart, Anya’s eyes fluttering open. She had never seen Dmitry smile so wide. 

“Anya, I-” Dmitry started but he cut himself off. He was looking over her shoulder, and he almost looked afraid. “Um, I have to make a quick stop.” 

“Is everything okay?” she asked. Dmitry nodded, but Anya didn’t believe him. He rowed them across the lake, and Anya could feel anxiety bubbling in her stomach. 

* * *

He had kissed her. He finally kissed her. Well, technically she kissed him, but Dmitry didn’t really care because he  _ kissed  _ her. Then of course the moment had to be ruined. 

“I’ll be right back,” Dmitry told Anya, grabbing the satchel. He knew he couldn’t take it anymore, that he would have to return it to the royal family. Especially if he was going to stay in the kingdom with Anya. 

Dmitry hated how foggy it was; he felt like he was about to be attacked. He had to walk farther than he wanted to before he saw him. Vlad Popov.

“Listen, Vlad, I know we parted ways, but please don’t tell me you’re turning me in. Not after everything,” Dmitry said. Vlad looked incredibly guilty, perhaps the most guilty Dmitry’s ever seen him look before. “Besides, I’m already returning the music box, there’s no need to involve Lily.” 

And suddenly there was Lily. She looked about as guilty as Vlad. 

“Vlad, what’s going on?” Dmitry asked, hating the situation. 

“I’m so sorry, my boy,” Vlad said. 

And then the world went black. 

* * *

Dmitry had left more than ten minutes ago, and Anya was getting increasingly worried.  _ He wouldn’t have just left me.  _ She knew that much. 

A few more minutes passed and then a figure emerged from the fog. 

“Oh, Dmitry, thank god. I was beginning to think you took the music box and left,” Anya said. The figure came closer and she saw that it was in fact  _ not  _ Dmitry, but an older man with graying hair. 

“I’m afraid he did, my dear,” the man said.  _ No. No, no, no.  _ It couldn’t be possible. Dmitry promised her he’d stay, that he’d come right back. “And he promised me a girl with magic hair in return for my silence.” 

He ratted her out. He  _ betrayed  _ her. Anya couldn’t breathe. She felt her sadness and anger begin to choke her. She barely registered the man touching her shoulder. 

Anya slapped his hand away, backing up farther into the boat. He acted just like Uncle Ra said people would, but he didn’t look like he enjoyed it. He looked remorseful even. 

“Leave her alone!” someone shouted, and whacked the man on the head. He passed out over the edge of the boat, revealing her uncle. 

“Uncle?” Anya said, her words coming out squeaky. He looked tired, his beard entirely gray. There appeared to be wrinkles around his eyes. “What are you…” 

“I’m protecting you since that  _ criminal  _ didn’t seem to want to,” Uncle Ra replied. He pointed behind her and Anya turned to see a sailboat sailing toward the kingdom. On it, Dmitry with the music box in his hands. 

_ No.  _

“Dmitry!” Anya called out. He wasn’t that far, maybe she could get some answers from him. “Dmitry!” Then she remembered the name that one man in the forest called him. “Dima!” 

He didn’t even look back. 

Anya started sobbing. She felt her uncle wrap his arms around her, stroking her hair. He said he would stay with her. He  _ promised.  _

“Why don’t we just go home?” her uncle suggested. Anya was too heartbroken to remind him that she wasn’t going back. Instead she just nodded, letting her uncle help her to her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alexei can also have little a pov as a treat


	5. bring back what once was mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Gleb, what’s wrong?” Dmitry asked. He assumed the worst. 
> 
> “Anya is Anastasia,” Gleb said in a hushed voice. What? His dream girl was a fucking princess? “I only just realized it, but she’s in trouble and we have to get you out.” 
> 
> What the fuck? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we're done! thank you everyone who left kudos and comments i love all y'all so much

Anya couldn’t believe it. She had promised herself she would never go back to the tower, and yet here she was. Dmitry had promised he would stay with her and yet they were apart. She had had the most perfect day and now it was completely ruined. 

“This is all for the best, Anya,” Uncle Ra said. He was picking the flowers out of her hair, undoing the braid Dmitry had worked so hard on. 

_ No, he betrayed you.  _

She  _ had _ to stop thinking about him. 

“In the end, that criminal did you a favor. Now you know how cruel the world can really be.” Anya wanted to argue, say the world wasn’t cruel, only a few people in it. But she couldn’t argue, couldn’t even open her mouth without crying. She was tired of crying. 

Instead, Anya muttered, “His name is Dmitry.” God, what was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she just forget him? He sold her out, left her when he said he would stay. So why did she defend him? 

_ Because I love him.  _

Which was so stupid because she barely knew him. But she knew it was true; she loved him. 

“Anya, you know I hate when you mumble,” Uncle Ra sing-songed. He gathered up all the flowers and it made Anya’s heart ache to see them so lifeless. “I doubt you’ve eaten at all today, so I’ll make some soup.” 

How could she eat just plain soup after the delicious food she had had earlier? 

Uncle Ra left her room, closing the door on his way out. 

Anya flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. An old painting was beginning to fade. She realized she didn’t have any new paint to touch it up. There had been so many different kinds of paint at a shop in the kingdom. 

_ “You like to paint right?”  _ Dmitry had asked. Anya looked at him in shock. She wouldn’t let him buy her paint when she knew how little money he already had. The money that he had already spent on all the food she wanted. 

_ “You’re not buying me paint,”  _ Anya replied. Dmitry blushed slightly.  _ Cute.  _ She could finally admit that now. 

Anya shook her head, willing the memory to leave her head. But it was just replaced with another: the dance they had shared. 

Dmitry had looked so handsome, and Anya had glowed when his hand touched hers. She had almost kissed him then and there, but they were interrupted. 

_ Stop!  _ Anya chastised herself. He didn’t deserve to have a place in her heart anymore. 

Anya practically leapt off her bed, looking for a broom to clean with or a brush to paint with. Anything to stop the memories of today. 

She had a small pile of dust and dirt in the corner of her room when Anya realized she was humming. Except she couldn’t recall what the song was. It sounded so familiar too… 

Then it hit her. 

_ The dance. The music box.  _ Her  _ song.  _ The song she sang to heal others. 

They were all one in the same. But how could that be? 

_ The prince and princesses. Gleb.  _

_ Princess Anastasia.  _

No. No, no, no. She couldn’t be the princess. Or could she? 

The lanterns did appear only on her birthday, a day to celebrate Anastasia. Ghosts appeared in her dreams, telling the truth to her every night, she just chose not to listen. She had only listened to the truth that was forced down her throat.

_ Holy fuck.  _

She had to get out of there. 

Anya gathered up the few blankets on her bed, grabbed her hairbrush and frying pan. She didn’t know how she would sneak past her uncle - no, he didn’t deserve that title anymore - but she would find a way. She had to. 

She crept down the stairs, carefully peering down into the kitchen. Maybe she could cause a distraction upstairs. 

“Anya?” Uncle Ra said, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. “I was just about to get you. What are you doing?” Well, there went sneaking past him unnoticed. 

Anya took a deep breath, mustered up her courage.  _ Courage, don’t desert me now.  _ “Am I Princess Anastasia?” It wasn’t a real question; she already knew the answer. 

Her uncle burst out laughing. It reminded her of the first time she brought up the lanterns. She cringed at the memory. “Anya, of course not. How do you even know about her?”

“Stop lying to me!” Anya shouted. It sounded more desperate than she wanted it to, but her uncle immediately sobered up. “I know you’ve been lying to me my entire life. You  _ stole  _ me from my family.” 

“I would not let the  _ Romanovs, _ ” his voice dripped with malice, “take away the one thing I had. They threw me out on the street, leaving me to die. So, I did what I had to.” 

The smell of smoke filled Anya’s nose, a flash of green light and the sound of glass shattering. A little girl with a baby in her arms, two younger girls hidden behind her. Two bodies, blocked by an old man with a murderous look in his eyes. 

“I sold my soul to see the end of that family, but  _ you  _ ruined my plans. I got stuck with you,” her uncle confessed. 

“Well, I’m happy to leave you be now,” Anya growled, rushing down the stairs. A hand grabbed her arm and Anya yelped. 

“You’re not going  _ anywhere _ .” 

* * *

Dmitry woke up with the worst headache. Worse than when Anya whacked him with a frying pan, worse than any hangover. Memories of the day hit him; Gleb helping them, the princess’s speech, the lanterns, his kiss with Anya.

_ Anya.  _

Dmitry remembered leaving her, meeting with Vlad. That’s when he got knocked out. God, she must’ve thought he abandoned her. Where was she? 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Dmitry heard someone mutter. Dmitry lifted his head to see Gleb and a bunch of palace guards. “Really, Dmitry? You didn’t have to make it this easy.” 

Dmitry was about to make a witty retort when he realized Gleb didn’t seem as into their back and forth as before. He seemed tired. Disappointed, almost. 

The guards untied the rope around Dmitry’s wrists, took his satchel with the music box still inside it. Then they slapped the handcuffs on him. 

“I’ll take it from here,” Gleb told the guards. “Enjoy the rest of the festival.” 

Gleb grabbed Dmitry’s arm, leading him off the docks and toward the holding cells. 

“Gleb,” Dmitry whispered, his voice urgent. Gleb just kept looking straight ahead. “Where is Anya?” 

He scoffed. “Like you care. You were just after the music box.” The accusation hit like a punch to the gut. Sure, that was his original motive, but everything had changed. If he were being honest with himself, it had changed the moment he met Anya. Now, he just wanted to be with her. 

“No, you have to believe that I was set up. I wouldn’t just leave her like that.” 

Gleb looked at him, and Dmitry noticed that his gaze softened. Then he looked away and he was the stubborn captain of the guards again. 

He was thrown - quite literally - into a cell. There was a tiny bed and a small window covered with bars. Dmitry had been caught before, but it never felt as final as this did. Probably because he wasn’t a kid anymore. Probably because he was truly alone now. 

Anya must’ve hated him now. He really couldn’t blame her. 

Dmitry fell asleep thinking of Anya and her bright smile and how he didn’t deserve her. 

* * *

_ He brought it upon himself,  _ Gleb thought as he left the prison. He shouldn’t be feeling this guilty. Sudayev was still a criminal after all. Gleb felt stupid for thinking anyone, even a pretty girl, could change that. 

Gleb wondered where Anya was. He truly had liked her, even if her taste in men seemed rather questionable. She had a quick wit and seemed to genuinely care. It had been awhile since Gleb met anyone who actually  _ cared.  _

_ “Gleb, be careful with him,”  _ Olga had chastised him. Gleb hadn’t meant any harm; he and Alexei were just playing.  _ “He’s only a baby.” _

_ “I am  _ not  _ a baby,”  _ Alexei had whined. Olga and Gleb shared a look as Alexei played on, oblivious to the silent conversation the two teens were having. 

It felt like an eternity had passed since that day. The day that Olga finally smiled again since the accident. Since her sister was taken. 

_ Her sister. _

Gleb stopped short, crashing into another guard. 

Anya had said she had a gift, that she was locked in a tower. The night of the accident, Olga told him it felt like magic had filled the air. Princess Anastasia was taken that night. 

_ Holy fuck. _

That’s why Anya had looked so familiar despite Gleb never having met her before. She was Princess Anastasia. 

And she was in trouble. 

Gleb had to get Dmitry. 

* * *

The second time Dmitry woke up he felt even shittier than before. His cheeks were wet and his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. 

There was also someone trying to break the lock on his cell. 

“Vlad?” Dmitry asked. Vlad snapped his head up, eyes wide. He calmed down when he realized it was Dmitry who said his name. 

“Dima! Oh thank god, I thought that old creep had killed you,” Vlad said. Old creep?  _ Anya’s uncle.  _

Dmitry raced to the cell door. “Where did he take her?” Vlad seemed to understand who  _ her  _ was immediately. 

Vlad scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know. He knocked me out as soon as he tied you up.” 

_ Shit.  _

Vlad opened his mouth to say something but was cut off. 

“Sudayev!” It was Gleb. He was racing down the hall, but stopped short when he saw Vlad. “Popov, it’s been awhile.” Vlad just nodded, hiding his lock pick behind his back. 

“Gleb, what’s wrong?” Dmitry asked. He assumed the worst. 

“Anya is Anastasia,” Gleb said in a hushed voice.  _ What?  _ His dream girl was a fucking princess? “I only just realized it, but she’s in trouble and we have to get you out.” 

What the  _ fuck?  _

Since when did Gleb ever want to help him? They’d been at each other’s throats for years. And now he was helping him escape jail. 

“How are we going to get to her?” Dmitry asked. Gleb was trying to find the right key for his cell. 

Vlad snapped his fingers. “We’ll take Lily’s carriage. Her horses are the fastest in the kingdom.” 

Gleb shook his head. “No. Sudayev, you’ll take my horse, and me and Popov will gather up the guards and take the carriage.” 

_ Guards?  _ Who will come and arrest Dmitry as soon as they rescue Anya. 

Gleb found the right key and soon the cell door was unlocked and Dmitry was free again. 

Vlad tackled Dmitry, enveloping him in a hug that could crush his bones. It had been awhile since the two had seen each other, but now it felt like no time had passed at all. 

The three men made their way out of the prison, and Dmitry could feel his heart beating out of his chest. 

“Listen, my boy,” Vlad said, “I didn’t mean to betray you like that. He would have hurt Lily if I didn’t do what he said.” 

The Dmitry from before would have scoffed and blamed Lily for everything, but now Dmitry understood. He knew what lengths people would go to to help the people they loved. Hell, he was working with  _ Gleb  _ of all people to save Anya. 

“Don’t worry about it, Vlad. I understand.” Vlad smiled and clapped Dmitry’s shoulder.

* * *

Anya refused to cry. She wouldn’t give this asshole the satisfaction. Sure, her arms were bound behind her back and she could hardly breathe, but she wouldn’t cry. Because his plan would never work. Because Dmitry didn’t care about her. 

“You stupid girl,” Rasputin said. “I  _ framed  _ him. He was going to give up that damn music box for you like an idiot.” 

_ He was? _ The urge to cry was still there, but Anya was stronger than she’d ever been. She would save herself before Dmitry got there, before he could be killed because of her. 

Rasputin grabbed her arms, yanked her towards the back of the tower, but Anya lashed out, kicking with reckless abandon. She ended up knocking over a mirror, the shards flying through the air. Pricks of blood soon covered her arms. 

“Stupid girl!” Rasputin let her go, stomping up the stairs. Anya tried to wrestle the gag off her mouth, but had no luck. Soon Rasputin was back, a rag and a dagger in his hands. She knew he wouldn’t kill her, but the sight of the weapon brought back memories of the gang from that morning. 

Dmitry had lain on the ground, bleeding out, and Anya realized with horror that the incident would be repeated. Only this time, Anya couldn’t save him. 

A horse could be heard in the distance, making Anya feel sick to her stomach. 

From the bottom of the tower, Anya heard Dmitry shout, “Anya! Let down your hair!” 

Rasputin gathered up her hair, tossing the locks out the window. Anya could feel a harsh tug, the weight almost pulling her down to the floor. Dmitry was about to die and she couldn’t do anything. 

Soon, a figure appeared in the window. Anya felt her heart speed up. She started to scream, hoping it would warn him. The look on Dmitry’s face went from relieved to shocked to pained as he crumpled to the floor, Rasputin standing over him with his dagger. Anya’s screams grew louder and it was then that she finally started to cry. 

“You’re both so stupid,” Rasputin said. He cackled as he made his way back to Anya. He grabbed her arms again, and Anya began to thrash. “Anya, stop fighting me!”

Anya scrambled forward and the gag slipped off her mouth. She choked back her tears as she said, “ _ No.  _ I will never stop fighting you. For the rest of my life I will fight!” She heard Dmitry groan in pain. She immediately knew what she had to do. “But, if you let me heal him, then I’ll go with you. I won’t fight, if you just let me heal him.” 

She could see Rasputin weighing his options, knowing she’d stay true to her word. He took off her bindings, fully removed the gag. Anya wiped at her eyes as Rasputin proceeded to tie up Dmitry.

“Just so you don’t get any ideas about following us.” 

Anya rushed to Dmitry, cupping his face in her hands. His breathing was shallow and he was deathly pale. She could save him again; she  _ had  _ to. 

“Hey, Blondie,” he whispered. Anya smiled despite herself. “You don’t have to do this.” They were both crying now. 

“Yes, I do.” Anya murmured. She pressed her forehead to his. “Because I love you. You were my new dream, Dima.” 

“And you were mine.” 

Then Dmitry pushed Anya back, grabbed her hair in his fist, and swung his arm. Clattering to the ground was a mirror shard. 

“No,” Anya said, feeling the ends of her hair. Miles of blonde hair lay on the floor, unattached to Anya’s head. The only thing she had that could help Dmitry. 

“ _ No! _ ” Rasputin shouted. He fell to the floor, gathering up the hair in his arms. In an instant, the middle aged man aged a hundred years. Anya almost couldn’t believe it. 

Rasputin scrambled towards Dmitry, but Anya shoved him hard, causing him to trip and topple out the window, down, down, down to the ground.

The only sound in the tower was Anya’s heavy breathing. 

_ Dmitry.  _

His eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving. 

“No, no, Dmitry, you’re going to be fine,” Anya said. She had to believe that. She couldn’t let him die. She took his hand in hers, pressed her other hand on her head and began to sing. 

_ Dancing bears, painted wings. Things I almost remember. And a song someone sings, once upon a December. Someone holds me safe and warm, horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully acr- _

Soon Anya’s sobs wracked her body and she couldn’t get any more words out. Her hair didn’t glow and Dmitry was still pale and unmoving. She was too late. 

Tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. 

Anya had never felt so defeated in her whole life. She had never felt so alone. 

“I love you,” she whispered, giving Dmitry’s hand a squeeze. 

Suddenly, bright golden light exploded from his abdomen, bathing everything in the tower a beautiful yellow. Anya gasped, jumping back from him. As the light faded, Dmitry slowly blinked his eyes open. Anya could hardly breathe.

“Short hair is a good look for you, Blondie,” Dmitry muttered. Anya threw her arms around him, smiling so wide it almost hurt. Dmitry grunted from the impact, but soon he was hugging Anya back just as tightly. 

They broke apart and Anya was content to just stare at him all day long. 

_ Actually…  _

Dmitry seemed to have the same idea as they both leaned in, meeting each other halfway. This kiss was different from their first. It wasn’t rushed, wasn’t an impulse decision. It felt like coming home. 

* * *

Alexei was in a secluded corner of the library, a history book forgotten on his lap. A bird was hopping on the windowsill, staring back at Alexei. He almost wished he could fly away, just for a little bit. Of course all his sisters would get a heart attack if he left for even a day. 

He shouldn’t complain; he was a prince, he had everything he wanted. 

The library doors swung open, scaring both Alexei and the bird. 

“Alexei!” It was Maria, Tatiana hot on her heels. “Come out to the balcony!” Maria grabbed his hand and together they rushed outside. 

On the balcony stood Olga as well as a young man and woman. Olga had tears in her eyes, and Tatiana covered her mouth with her hand. Maria squeezed Alexei’s hand. 

_ What is going on?  _

But something about the young woman seemed so familiar. Like he had seen her in a dream. 

“Is it really you?” Olga asked, her voice shaky. The woman nodded and stepped forward, letting go of the man’s hand. Maria let go of Alexei’s hand as his sisters enveloped the woman in a hug. They sunk to the floor, all with tears in their eyes. 

Then it hit Alexei.  _ Anastasia.  _ His sister was home. 

“Nastya!” Alexei shouted, joining their group hug. Anastasia laughed and kissed the top of his head. 

The siblings broke apart, stood up. Anastasia grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him towards them. 

“This is Dmitry Sudayev. He brought me home.” Dmitry blushed. Well, at least Alexei would have a brother now. 

* * *

“I feel like I’m being choked,” Dmitry complained from behind the changing curtain. Anya was applying makeup, and after having practiced on her sisters for days on end, thought she was no better than before. Her face looked too red, her lashes clumped together, and her lipstick did not match her dress at all. 

“It’s only for one night,” Anya said, mostly for her own benefit. Her nerves were all over the place. 

Olga had suggested a ball be thrown in her honor as a way for the kingdom to welcome her home. Anya wasn’t opposed to the idea - she actually loved the idea of a ball - but she had no idea how much planning it required, and how uncomfortable the outfits were. 

Dmitry came out from behind the curtain, and Anya caught a glimpse of him in the mirror. She let out a tiny gasp, feeling flustered by how regal he looked. Dmitry caught her eye in the mirror and winked. It caused Anya’s face to grow even more red than it already was. 

“Could you help me with my tie?” Dmitry asked. “Vlad always made it look so easy.” Anya nodded, turning to face him. It was moments like these when Anya wished she were taller. The top of her head only reached his shoulder, and she had to crane her neck to effectively tie his tie. 

When Anya was finished, she realized how close they were. Not that that really mattered anymore, but with Dmitry looking like  _ that  _ and with how new Anya was to romance, it wasn’t hard for her to become even more flustered. 

Dmitry seemed to notice, his neutral expression turning into an amused one. 

“You’re laughing at me!” Anya accused, stepping away from him. Dmitry denied it, but that only caused him to actually start laughing. She pretended to sulk, hoping he would feel at least a little guilty. 

Dmitry stepped back into her space, all humor gone from his face. He took her hand and gently kissed her knuckles. All the composure that Anya had disappeared. Her stomach turned to jelly. A month into their courtship and he still made her feel like a lovesick fool. 

“You look really beautiful, Anya,” Dmitry whispered. His eyes moved from hers down to her lips, and Anya mirrored the movement. Soon Anya pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him. 

Kissing Dmitry had quickly become Anya’s favorite hobby, one she didn’t intend to break anytime soon. 

Anya’s hand found Dmitry’s, his other hand resting on her waist. They broke apart for a moment, only for Dmitry to chase her, kissing her again. 

A knock at the door caused the couple to jump apart like two teenagers caught by a parent. “Nastya?” Maria asked from behind the door. “Hurry up! We’re all waiting for you.” 

Anya looked to Dmitry, both smiling. Dmitry offered his arm, Anya gladly taking it. They walked out together, ready to smile and dance and have the time of their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for clarification, the thing that gave anya her healing powers was that green thing rasputin had in the 1997 movie that's why he said he got stuck with her she was literally his life force

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on tumblr @cressisaqueen


End file.
